Portico di San Luca Guide: The World's Longest Portico, Sanctuary & Sky Experience Prices
2 - 3 h round trip (45 - 60 min walk uphill, one-way)
Historic Portico / Pilgrimage Route
Built 1674-1739
Porta Saragozza to Via di San Luca, 36, 40135 Bologna, Italy
Planning to visit Portico di San Luca & Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca?
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Practical Visitor Info & Tips
€0.00
NEEDS_VERIFICATION (San Luca Sky Experience reduced rate — see note below)
Sanctuary: daily 07:00-18:00 (19:00 March-October). San Luca Sky Experience: Mon-Sat 10:30-13:30 & 14:30-18:30, Sun 12:00-13:30 & 14:30-18:30, last access 15 min before closing.
reservation.none
| Sanctuary, daily (Nov-Feb) | Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca | 07:00 - 18:00 |
| Sanctuary, daily (Mar-Oct) | Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca | 07:00 - 19:00 |
Last Admission: N/A — free, walk-up access.
Closed On: Tourist visits may be limited during religious services; no fixed annual closures confirmed.
Free Admission Dates: Always free for the portico walk and Sanctuary entry.
NEEDS_VERIFICATION: the San Luca Sky Experience dome-climb price (secondary sources quote ~€5 full / ~€3 reduced) could not be independently corroborated on the Sanctuary's own official channels (santuariodisanluca.it links out to succedesoloabologna.it, which lists hours but no price) as of this audit — do not present that figure as confirmed.
| Option | Price | Booking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portico walk & Sanctuary entry | €0.00 | No ticket needed | |
| San Luca Sky Experience (dome climb) | NEEDS_VERIFICATION (secondary sources: ~€5.00 full / ~€3.00 reduced) | On-site desk or online, Sanctuary's booking partner | |
| San Luca Express shuttle, adult | €15.00 | City Red Bus, on-site or online | |
| Bologna Welcome Card PLUS (shuttle included) | €55.00 | Bologna Welcome, online |
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Ticket Options
€0.00
Check whether a city pass already covers this attraction before buying separately.
See pass compatibility below ↓Overview & Visitor Introduction
The Portico di San Luca is the world's longest portico: a continuous covered arcade of 666 arches running 3,796 meters from Porta Saragozza at the edge of Bologna's historic center up to the hilltop Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. The walk is free and open at all times, part of the wider Portici di Bologna UNESCO World Heritage listing.
At the top, the Sanctuary itself is also free to enter, while a separate paid 'San Luca Sky Experience' lets visitors climb the dome for panoramic views, and a San Luca Express shuttle train exists for those who prefer not to walk the full uphill stretch.
What to See: Top Highlights
The 666-Arch Walk
A steady uphill climb under continuous cover — free, open-air but roofed, and usable in any weather.
Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca
The 18th-century hilltop basilica at the portico's end, home to a Byzantine icon of the Madonna; free entry, open daily.
San Luca Sky Experience
A spiral-staircase climb to a dome-level viewpoint described as one of the highest visitable domes in Europe, for panoramic views over Bologna and the surrounding hills.
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Pass Compatibility
Compare Bologna PassesThe portico walk and Sanctuary entry are free regardless of any pass. The San Luca Express shuttle train is included on the Bologna Welcome Card PLUS (€55) but not the EASY tier (€35). Multiple secondary sources (Viator, Trip.com) quote the San Luca Sky Experience dome climb at around €5 full / €3 reduced, but this could not be corroborated on the Sanctuary's own official channels during this audit — treat that exact price as NEEDS_VERIFICATION rather than confirmed. Turbopass and Go City are both confirmed to NOT operate in Bologna.
Bologna Welcome Card EASY
Not confirmed by the provider. The portico walk and Sanctuary are free regardless of any card; the San Luca Express shuttle (the paid component) is NOT included on the EASY tier.
Bologna Welcome Card PLUS
Conditional. PLUS tier includes the San Luca Express shuttle; the San Luca Sky Experience dome climb's own pass coverage is unconfirmed (NEEDS_VERIFICATION) and is NOT itemized in Bologna Welcome's inclusion list for either tier.
Data Provenance
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Frequently Asked Questions
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